Thinking the train left the station at 7:40 p.m., we left home around 6:30. Looking at the papers again, however, told us that the train in fact left at 7:03, and given how we were hitting every red light we possibly could, we were probably not going to make it to the station. As we cooked up drastic alternate plans, I began to question whether or not the entity known as "Otakon" wanted me there at all ... last year's trip began with difficulty, too.

Upon arriving at the station, we learned that the train was over an hour late. Crisis averted! We hung around for awhile (of course), and during that time I got a good look at my environment. I had honestly been expecting something a bit more ... impressive than the little Amtrack station, something a bit less forlorn. I discovered, however, that the little 1960's building, with one guy working and one door broken, was all I was going to get. The place was not only lonely and limpid, it was downright dinky.

The little shelter across the tracks, which had once sheltered people from rains, stood nearly abandoned in an old coat of dingy white and pale blue paint. The windows were gone, it had been boarded up, and the only light in it was broken. There was a dead bird on the ground, the only one waiting there.

By the time the train showed up, I was feeling much better and less stressed (and had passed on to giggle mode). My car had a really hot attendant. I had wanted a window seat, but by the time I got on there were none available. I sat next to a nice lady who I had a brief conversation with ... this old lady started yawning, and she didn't stop. It was unbelievable, how much she kept on going ... I thought I was going to go crazy. Afraid that I would miss my stop, I was tryingnot to fall asleep, but she sure wasn't helping in that regard. I plotted ways to take the window seat from the yawning woman, but fortunately for me she left a couple of stops before I did and I claimed her thus vacated seat with no trouble.

Aside from small naps, I have been awake for over 24 hours by this point.

I look ridiculously overpacked, I really do, despite trying to take the bare minimum (I even left a wig at home, how sad, how sad). I ... am afraid to open up the big suitcase to see how the armor (did/did not) traveled. ._.

When we got to Pittsburgh, it was raining fairly hard. We had a bit of a trek in the rain back to the ... "T" train, is it? And then from there to her apartment-place-home. But we did not drown.

Since etoileeyes and her boyfriend are off at work, I'm hanging around watching anime I haven't seen and sleeping. The Ah! My Goddess! movie is so insipid, it's sick. Pretty animation, though. Jin-Roh is more my style!

Yay!!! I was going to take the train, but I have to work today and Wednesday, so I couldn't fit any of the schedules.. There was NOTHING that was remotely compatible with me... So I fly! Oooo!

Have fun at the convention, I know I will! If you want to see me, I *know* that I'll be handing out onigiri to the people in the registration line early afternoon on Friday, as Jack from Harvest Moon! ^^